Denver Broncos: Noah Fant scores first NFL touchdown

Denver Broncos first-round pick Noah Fant is proving his worth as a big-play threat at TE and scored his first TD as a rookie vs. Jacksonville.

The Denver Broncos used a first-round pick on tight end Noah Fant in 2019, and the decision to go with the playmaking tight end was met with a bit of criticism.

The Broncos certainly needed a playmaker at the tight end position. They haven’t had a true dynamic threat in the passing game there since Julius Thomas in 2013-14.

They traded down in the 2019 NFL Draft for Fant, a former University of Iowa tight end and All-Big Ten performer who ran a blazing 4.51 in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds.

Why draft a tight end in the first round?

This is why.

Fant took this screen play 25 yards for a beautiful touchdown to get the Broncos on the board in the first quarter against the Jaguars, one of their three passing touchdowns on the day.

Fant shows off his speed and agility in the open field here, as well as the ability to make plays after the catch which was a ridiculous critique of his coming out of Iowa.

Even with a full head of steam, Fant isn’t limited to his straight-line speed here and is able to change directions to avoid a group of tacklers before he eventually scores the touchdown, the first of his young career.

So far in four games for the Broncos, Fant has 11 receptions for 130 yards and now his first touchdown of the season. He has at least one catch of over 20 yards in three of the Broncos’ four games and had a 17-yard catch against the Packers.

Although Fant has struggled when he’s been left in to pass protect — a ridiculous thing for him to do anyway — he has been pretty much exactly what the team expected as a receiver and should be getting more and more involved as the season progresses.